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France to discuss possible Mistral sale to Malaysia — media

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will discuss the issue during a visit to Malaysia

PARIS, August 25. /TASS/. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will discuss the possibility of selling to Malaysia one of the Mistral helicopter carriers originally meant for Russia during a visit to the country, French news website La Tribune reported on Tuesday.

The €1.12 billion contract for construction of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers for the Russian Navy was signed in June 2011.

Under the contract, Russia was expected to receive the first of the two warships, the Vladivostok, in the autumn of 2014. However, Paris suspended the ship’s handover to Russia at the very last moment over Moscow’s stance on developments in neighbouring Ukraine.

It was planned that the second ship, the Sevastopol, would be handed over to Russia in the second half of 2015. But the deal was suspended like in the case with the first Mistral ship. The Sevastopol has undergone three series of trials in the open sea.

French media earlier reported that €950 million had already been repaid by France in compensation for cancelling the contract.